Action of 21 October 1799

The Action of 21 October 1799 (21 October 1799) was a naval battle between the US Navy and French Navy that occurred off the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean Sea. Commodore Andrew Drakeford's 3 ships-of-the-line defeated a fleet of 2 French ships-of-the-line under Jean-Joel Gerin in a battle that left 45 American sailors dead and 93 French sailors dead.

Background
After years of privateer conflict in the Caribbean Sea, the United States and French Republic went to war in 1798. Commodore Andrew Drakeford and 3 American ships-of-the-line (USS Glatton, USS Ardent, and USS Philadelphia) patrolled the Caribbean Sea in search of French ships, with the goal of making sure that the French Navy did not attack their merchants trading with Great Britain and the United Provinces. However, the American fleet located a French fleet of 2 ships-of-the-line off Turks and Caicos, so Drakeford decided to attack them. Under the command of Jean-Joel Gerin, the two French ships were well-armed, but they were Second Rate ships-of-the-line, while the American ships were First Rate ships-of-the-line. The French were also outnumbered, but Gerin decided to stand and fight.

Battle
Gerin's two ships advanced in a single-file line, while the Americans moved in a horizontal line. This gave them the advantage of "crossing the T", where their broadside cannons could fire on the French, whose ships could only use their frontal cannons. The American ships took advantage of their firepower and pounded the French ships, and they succeeded in forcing the French ship Ilustre to retreat first. Gerin, on board Justice, fought for a while, but he soon faced the combined firepower of all three American ships. Justice retreated as well, and the battle ended with an American victory. 93 French seamen and 45 American sailors were killed in the battle, while no ships were lost.

Aftermath
The French ships retreated to Port-de-Paix in northern Saint-Domingue, where they refitted. The American ships headed to Turks and Caicos, where they refitted in the British harbor in Parrot Cay. Both sides soon recovered from the battle, and naval warfare resumed.